In Lanhai District of Ruerke City, at the east gate of the Seaside Garden Community, a large crowd had gathered.
Lu Dongnuan had dispersed all the Zombies lingering there.
Although some Mutated Infected might still be hiding, Lin Mo said it was actually a good thing for the two of them.
People whispered among themselves, the focus of their discussion always centering on Lu Dongnuan.
“You’re sure you didn’t see it wrong?”
“It’s the absolute truth. That Doctor walked right through the horde of Zombies, and they didn’t even pay her any mind!”
“The Zombies in the community… they’re really gone!”
“Oh my god…”
“This is simply a miracle.”
Lin Mo silently scanned the crowd, counting forty-two people.
Most were elderly, with only a few middle-aged men scattered among them.
Lu Dongnuan furrowed her brows and lowered her voice, “We sent out more than a hundred notices, but only this many showed up.”
Lin Mo rested his knuckles against his chin, his gaze calm as he said, “It’s more than I expected.”
After saying that, he took a step forward.
His soles crushed the half-withered grass, making a faint, crisp sound.
That single sound was like pressing a mute button; all the whispering came to a sudden halt.
He didn’t speak immediately, instead slowly scanning every face — the elderly clutching cloth bags with white knuckles, the middle-aged men shrinking to the back of the crowd pretending to look into the distance, and several women tightly hugging children who were silently shivering in their arms.
Once everyone’s attention was firmly held, Lin Mo raised his hand and pointed toward the depths of the community.
There were no longer any low growls from Zombies there; there was only the sound of the wind passing through the gaps between the buildings, swirling a few fallen leaves.
“The reason you can stand here now, with no Zombies blocking the gate at your feet and the bread we gave out yesterday still in your hands,” his voice wasn’t loud, but every word was clear, like cold stones being dropped into a silent pool of water, “is because you have encountered hope.”
He paused, letting the sentence sink into the air.
“Without her, you wouldn’t even have the chance to stand here and hesitate.”
Lu Dongnuan stood quietly to the side, not interrupting him.
“127 notices were sent out.” Lin Mo’s gaze swept over the crowd again.
His tone softened slightly but remained firm, “Only forty-two people came. The ones who didn’t show up might still be waiting for the next time, or for absolute safety.”
“Or perhaps, you were sent as representatives for your families.”
He shook his head gently, a trace of warmth that was almost a sigh entering his voice.
“But there is no ‘next time’ in the Post-Apocalypse, and no one is going to package safety and hand it to you. You didn’t come today because of good luck; you came because you still have the desire to keep Living On in your hearts. Maybe you even thought of someone who is waiting for you to return.”
A middle-aged man who had been looking away felt his throat bob before finally shifting his gaze back.
“I won’t beat around the bush. By following us, first, you will no longer be attacked by Zombies. Second, the supplies we find will be distributed per person, with the elderly and children taking priority so you don’t have to worry about running out of food every day. Third…”
He turned sideways, stepping back to let Lu Dongnuan stand fully in front.
“She can help you take the first step, and we can lead you the rest of the way. But the premise is that you must believe. Living On isn’t something achieved by waiting; it’s done by following someone who can give you confidence, taking it one step at a time.”
The wind swept through the empty courtyard of the community, lifting a few strands of black hair from his forehead.
“Everyone in the Post-Apocalypse wants hope,” Lin Mo said finally.
His voice wasn’t loud, yet it felt like a hammer striking everyone’s heart.
“Now, hope is standing right here. Do you want to follow hope and move forward, or do you want to turn back and wait for the Zombies to knock on your door again?”
Silence followed.
Only the wail of the wind through broken window frames could be heard.
A few seconds later, an old woman who had been clutching a plastic bag the whole time tremblingly shuffled forward two steps.
She reached out, her withered fingers lightly grabbing Lu Dongnuan’s sleeve.
Her voice shook, yet it was exceptionally clear.
“Dear… I’ll follow. My family… my little grandson is still waiting to drink his formula.”
It was like the first drop of rain finally falling.
Immediately after, ripples began to spread.
The middle-aged men looked at each other and finally stepped forward from the back of the crowd.
One of them spoke in a gravelly voice, “Count us in. Hiding at home is just waiting to die; we might as well give it a shot.”
The crowd began to shift, and murmurs rose again, but this time, the suspicion in their voices had vanished.
As Lin Mo watched the people gradually gather, the cold layer of ice in his eyes slowly thawed.
He turned to Lu Dongnuan and gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
These people had only offered their preliminary trust.
What they believed in might not have been the miracle of not fearing Zombies — after all, the food was really being eaten.
Most of them were family representatives.
Those with a sense of responsibility, or those without elderly members at home, were the middle-aged men; those lacking responsibility simply sent the elderly members of their families.
This was understandable.
In the Post-Apocalypse, the elderly and children were the most useless.
In this world, this was the most realistic choice.
The elderly, children, and the sick were often placed on the end that could be discarded.
Lin Mo continued speaking.
“We will designate a safety zone. We can’t say it’s absolutely safe, but it will cover food, water, and clothing. As long as you listen to us, no Zombies will attack you.”
Lin Mo couldn’t let these people go back now.
Instead, he needed to make those who were still hiding come out.
The rustling sounds of the gathering crowd had not yet subsided.
These people had come, but that didn’t mean their “families” behind them had fully placed their trust in them.
They were the stones used to test the path, the “sacrifices” of the household, or the only ones with enough strength left to walk out as representatives.
“You stood up because you saw the bread we gave and heard the news that the Zombies were dispersed. But your family members who didn’t come haven’t seen or heard that. They only saw you leave, and then… maybe you’ll never return.”
These words were harsh.
Worry and pain clearly appeared on the faces of several elderly people.
“Therefore, we cannot stop here.” Lin Mo’s tone shifted as he pointed toward the interior of the community.
“What we need to do now isn’t to have you immediately move your entire families out; that would be difficult.”
He crouched down, picked up a piece of broken brick, and began to draw roughly on the dusty ground.
“With the Property Management building at the east gate as the core, we will clear and control this building and the surrounding fifty-meter radius. This will be Safety Point Number One. We have the ability to ensure that Zombies cannot enter this range.”
He glanced at Lu Dongnuan, who gave a slight nod of confirmation.
“Next,” Lin Mo’s brick extended several lines on the ground, “starting from Safety Point Number One, we will gradually clear and open safe paths to each building. We don’t need to clear the entire building immediately; we only need to ensure that the path from the building’s entrance to our safety point is clean and free of threats.”
He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the middle-aged men and the elderly people whose eyes had reignited with a faint glimmer of light.
“You don’t need to go back. For your food, clothing, shelter, and transportation — you must not leave this boundary.”
Upon hearing this, the people looked at each other.
“We won’t force everyone to gather immediately, and we will provide guarantees for pickup and transfer. If there are elderly, children, or sick people at home who truly cannot walk, tell us. We can organize a team to bring them to the safety point along the cleared safe paths. Those who still have strength can stay for the time being.”
The eyes of the old lady who had first grabbed Lu Dongnuan’s sleeve turned red again, but this time it wasn’t just out of despair.
“I… when I came out, I locked my little grandson in the wardrobe. I told him his grandma was going to find food… Can I bring him here? He’s only three years old…”
“Yes,” Lin Mo answered decisively.
“Give us the building and apartment number. Clearing the path and picking up people will be placed at the highest priority.”
A middle-aged man couldn’t help but ask, “Then… clearing the path and picking up people will require manpower, right? What… what should those of us who came out do?”
“Good question.” Lin Mo stood up and patted the dust off his hands.
“The people staying behind will eat first.”
“Eat… eat first?”
“Yes. How can you have the strength to work if you don’t eat?”
He looked back at the chef, Lu Dongnuan, and winked.
Lu Dongnuan spoke up, “For those who are willing, I will go and bring your people here. Let’s make a list.”
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